TV reality show with 'lazy' Danes

Danes are a nation of lazy people who can’t be bothered working – at least according to a Nigerian couple who own a small Copenhagen-based cleaning company profiled in a new TV reality show, seven59.dk writes.

The married couple, who own and operate Perfect Service, say their aim is to be bigger than global cleaning service ISS but are constantly shocked by the poor work ethics of Danes.

Co-owner Loweth said the biggest challenge to running a company in this country is finding employees willing to make an effort because most Danes are lazy, and constantly try to avoid work.

Madness

“They don’t complete the job they’re given even though I’m after them all the time. One person left a customer after an hour even though she’d been paid for two and others would rather surf the internet than work. One woman informed me that she was pregnant the day after signing an employment contract and demanded a year’s maternity leave. Others call in sick all the time,” he says.

In the first episode aired last night, he says Danes are constantly complaining about the unemployment situation even though there’s ‘tons of work’ available.

“It’s madness. There are lots of jobs but Danes would rather claim benefits than work.”

Work or welfare?

He is backed by Jakob Engel Schmidt, head of the Danish Association of Entrepreneurs, who said Danes are often too concerned about their rights, lunch-break, and salary, than real work.

“I’ve met many people who can’t see why they should work when people like ‘work-shy Robert’ openly admit they can’t be bothered working, yet get virtually the same money paid out every month in unemployment benefits as someone in a low-paid job.”

Robert Nielsen, better known as ‘work-shy Robert’, made the news in 2012 when he openly admitted to news organisations that he would rather receive unemployment benefits than work.

universitypost@adm.ku.dk

Stay in the know about news and events happening in Copenhagen by signing up for the University Post’s weekly newsletter here.